gremlin

noun/ˈɡrɛmlɪn/

Frequency rank: #18,208 most common English word

Meaning

An imaginary mischievous creature blamed for unexplained mechanical or technical problems.

Illustration for the English word “gremlin”

Example sentence

Every time the printer breaks down for no reason, the office staff jokes that gremlin is responsible.

Synonyms & related words

Practice this word in the quiz

More words in ranks 18,201–18,300